New Delhi: SC Bengaluru have moved to the Court of Arbitration for relief in relegation from the I-League, pushing it into the same realm of uncertainty that the Indian Super League finds itself in though for different reasons.
On Tuesday, the appeal committee gave a further two weeks to clubs for filing of written replies and set the next date of hearing on September 23, effectively stopping the entire relegation process in the I-League, adding to the All India Football Federation’s woes.
It prompted SCB to drag the AIFF to the top most court in sporting cases over procedural delay in deciding on relegation, multiple sources informed News9 Sports.
As per the league table, Delhi FC is the other team to be relegated along with SCB, after finishing at the bottom two places of the 2024-25 I-League, following which the AIFF’s appeal committee issued a stay order on their drop on May 27.
SCB have sought relief at the Swiss court for this inordinate delay, making it the third time that AIFF was taken to Lausanne for last season’s I-League.
On July 18, CAS had decided on the second division’s championship too, judging Inter Kashi to be the winners over Churchill Brothers, and would now determine which teams get relegated too, making it a unique achievement for the AIFF.
Not only the federation lost both the cases against Kashi, they were fined heavily too, putting considerable stress on its stretched coffers. Despite repeated reminder, the AIFF is yet to hand over the I-League trophy and the prize money to Inter Kashi.
“Yes, they have gone to CAS. They are a club that got relegated and are trying to stay back in I-League. They feel they have a case, so let’s see what CAS decides. As the matter is sub-judice, it won’t be wise to say abything more,” an AIFF official said.
SCB (21 points in 22 matches) have demanded three points as per tournament rules against Namdhari FC for fielding an ‘ineligible’ player against them and should CAS endorse their claim, Aizawl FC (23 points) would go down.
Hearing after hearing
Though the ISL has been put on an indefinite hold due to a contractual logjam and depends on Supreme Court directive for a way forward, no information has been forthcoming on when the I-League would start.
Clubs remain idle on the transfer market, which closes on August 31, and amidst the prevailing air of uncertainty in Indian football, none is willing to make any commitment for the I-League that usually runs from October to March.
Rather than speaking to clubs or providing a date of commencement for the I-League, the AIFF has held hearings and meetings on various issues, with no tangible outcome.
For the third time in the last two weeks, the league committee would meet on Wednesday to decide on Sudeva Delhi FC’s request to be reinstated in I-League 2 despite failing to comply with disciplinary committee’s registration ban.
The keenness shown to hear Sudeva’s plea is markedly absent in deciding the fate of Anwar Ali, who switched shirts from Mohun Bagan to East Bengal before the 2024-25 season, but a final judgement on his transfer is awaited as the matter rots in the appeal committee.
At CAS, the AIFF had termed its league committee incompetent to interpret I-League regulation on Inter Kashi’s re-registration of foreigner Mario Barco.
When league committee chairperson Lalnghinglova Hmar raised questions, through a strongly-worded letter, on the manner in which the AIFF presented its case at CAS, president Kalyan Chaubey reportedly promised to apologise in writing but believed to have not done yet.